![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
icon_uk posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
scans_dailyWhere the hero who sidesteps thought, meets the villain who overthinks everything...
and it goes about as well as you might imagine...
We open with the Riddler gving a rather... idealised, cynical souls might even say fictionalised, summary of his criminal career.
(Flash is there because after leaving Gotham, Riddler had tried, very unsuccessfully to become a Flash nemesis, unfortunately for him, Tim Drake's father had relocated to Central City after the Quake, and so Tim and Wally were able to deal with Riddler and his new partner in crime, Captain Boomerang...)
So why is he appearing here?
His hostages (Who are helpfully reminding him where he actually is) are Max Mercury and his long time 1940's nemesis (Though he was only retconned in recently) Doctor Morlo, who had been attempting to bury the metaphorical hatchet by going out for a meal and opefully come to a better sort of relationship, given that Max isn't really an active hero any more, and Morlo isn't exactly an active villain, though his grandson "Evil Eye" (because he wears an eyepatch) seems to aspire to be a better class fo bully, but isn't sure he has the heart for it... but I digress.)
Max clearly believes in a rather active form of continuous assessment.
Riddler is a little bothered that he has hostages, the police AND news crew gathered around the building he's working from, but still no sign of Impulse. Max clearly has his own ideas as to why THAT might be...
Max Mercury, Spin Doctor! (The lady here is Helen Clairborne, Max's daughter and who was a regular in the title at this point)
So off our little speedster with the big feet zips..
The snark between these two is a delight! :)
But Bart is still uncertain about a few things, like who he's dealing with. The question mark motif is a clue, isn't it?
Heh! (I adore that last panel)
So Riddler explains his scheme to confound Impulse, there's a powerful bomb hidden somewhere in... sorry, where are they again? Oh yeah, Manchester and...
Bart always had a very literal way of dealing with things which I admired.
Alas Riddler is so busy being angry at having his riddle spoiled, that he forgets that the bomb is still primed, and Bart really isn't the sort of person who pays attention to such things unless forcibly reminded, which means that it's up to... SOMEONE ELSE!
Max quickly runs the bomb out to the bay where it explodes harmlessly (if 41 seconds early) and zips back to his chair where he resumes his role as hostage because he wants to see what happens next.
And yes, Max has to dispose of those two too!
Riddler has had enough of this, he's used to having his riddles solved by a sufficiently worthy foe, but not that they be IGNORED! It spoils the fun and it's just bad sportsmanship from his POV.
When is a riddle not a riddle? Why, when it's a PUZZLE, in this case a jigsaw puzzle!
See, Bart's not as stupid as he can seem to be at first glance... (Though to borrow a quote from Doctor Who when someone said the same about Tom Baker's Doctor "My dear, NO ONE could be as stupid as he seems to be") he just has a very, very literal view on things and limited data to work from...
I have to end this there because of page limits, but Evil Eye has a brief appearance (He's the shadow behind Eddie in that last panel) and Riddler is suitably trounced. I just wanted to share the fun of the kid with the big feet meeting the villain with the massive ego!
and it goes about as well as you might imagine...
We open with the Riddler gving a rather... idealised, cynical souls might even say fictionalised, summary of his criminal career.
(Flash is there because after leaving Gotham, Riddler had tried, very unsuccessfully to become a Flash nemesis, unfortunately for him, Tim Drake's father had relocated to Central City after the Quake, and so Tim and Wally were able to deal with Riddler and his new partner in crime, Captain Boomerang...)
So why is he appearing here?
His hostages (Who are helpfully reminding him where he actually is) are Max Mercury and his long time 1940's nemesis (Though he was only retconned in recently) Doctor Morlo, who had been attempting to bury the metaphorical hatchet by going out for a meal and opefully come to a better sort of relationship, given that Max isn't really an active hero any more, and Morlo isn't exactly an active villain, though his grandson "Evil Eye" (because he wears an eyepatch) seems to aspire to be a better class fo bully, but isn't sure he has the heart for it... but I digress.)
Max clearly believes in a rather active form of continuous assessment.
Riddler is a little bothered that he has hostages, the police AND news crew gathered around the building he's working from, but still no sign of Impulse. Max clearly has his own ideas as to why THAT might be...
Max Mercury, Spin Doctor! (The lady here is Helen Clairborne, Max's daughter and who was a regular in the title at this point)
So off our little speedster with the big feet zips..
The snark between these two is a delight! :)
But Bart is still uncertain about a few things, like who he's dealing with. The question mark motif is a clue, isn't it?
Heh! (I adore that last panel)
So Riddler explains his scheme to confound Impulse, there's a powerful bomb hidden somewhere in... sorry, where are they again? Oh yeah, Manchester and...
Bart always had a very literal way of dealing with things which I admired.
Alas Riddler is so busy being angry at having his riddle spoiled, that he forgets that the bomb is still primed, and Bart really isn't the sort of person who pays attention to such things unless forcibly reminded, which means that it's up to... SOMEONE ELSE!
Max quickly runs the bomb out to the bay where it explodes harmlessly (if 41 seconds early) and zips back to his chair where he resumes his role as hostage because he wants to see what happens next.
And yes, Max has to dispose of those two too!
Riddler has had enough of this, he's used to having his riddles solved by a sufficiently worthy foe, but not that they be IGNORED! It spoils the fun and it's just bad sportsmanship from his POV.
When is a riddle not a riddle? Why, when it's a PUZZLE, in this case a jigsaw puzzle!
See, Bart's not as stupid as he can seem to be at first glance... (Though to borrow a quote from Doctor Who when someone said the same about Tom Baker's Doctor "My dear, NO ONE could be as stupid as he seems to be") he just has a very, very literal view on things and limited data to work from...
I have to end this there because of page limits, but Evil Eye has a brief appearance (He's the shadow behind Eddie in that last panel) and Riddler is suitably trounced. I just wanted to share the fun of the kid with the big feet meeting the villain with the massive ego!
